The present invention relates to potable water supply systems, and in particular, to modular, transportable personal systems for use in recreational, military and household applications.
A logistical concern of backpackers, hunters and those generally involved in the outdoors is that of having an available supply of potable water. A further concern is how to transport sufficient quantities between water depots or sources to sustain the affected individuals between re-supply. Such considerations are of special concern to the outfitting of ground troops, especially under conditions where potable water supplies may be scarce to non-existent, even though contaminated water is otherwise available.
Presuming some type of water is available, considerations can be focused on making the available water potable, for example, by way of a variety of filtration, purification, distillation or other known techniques. In these regards, Applicant is aware of U.S. Pat. No. 4,298,475 which discloses a straw like purifier. The purifier includes a granular activated carbon (GAC) filtration section in combination with an iodine resin purification section. A filtered inlet and mouthpiece enable ingestion with the water being purified prior to exiting the straw.
Although effective in practice, usage of the foregoing assembly can be rather strenuous. That is, the user must exert a rather large vacuum or "sucking" action at the straw to overcome the resistance to liquid flow of the intermediate iodine resin and GAC materials. A light-headed condition can result.
Applicants are aware of still another straw-like personal purification device sold by Water Technologies, Inc. of Minneapolis, Minn. and discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,976. This device includes a removable distal filter and separate iodine resin purification beds or bactericides positioned to either side of a GAC bed. While offering improvements over the prior device, this device too has been found to be physically taxing to the user.
In appreciation of the foregoing shortcomings of prior personal purification systems and assemblies, Applicants have developed a disposable, cartridge based system which finds application in a number of personally transported assemblies. Depending upon the volume of drinking water required by the user, various ones of the assemblies can be selected.